Garrisoned Minds

Responding to conflict with militarisation and violence has become part of the global social order. In this collection, twelve journalists examine what that means for women's lives in four conflict-affected parts of South Asia: Pakistan's frontier provinces along the Afghan border, Nepal during and after its decade-long civil war, Northeast India under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and the Kashmir valley with its heavy Indian army presence.

The essays vary in approach. Some are vivid accounts of individual women's lives, such as those of women during the fighting in Nepal, or a journey through the shifting political landscape of Manipur. Others look closely at the violent restrictions placed on particular communities, including the Hazaras of Pakistan, the dancing girls of the Swat Valley and the ostracised widows of counter-insurgents in Kashmir.

Together they show the lived reality of women who have had to come to terms with terrible circumstances and who remain determined to work for peace.